We just had Xi Jinping in town. Trump rolled out the red carpet for him. For the first time in decades, an American president actually went to Andrews Air Force Base and stood at the side of the plane as this foreign autocrat showed up on American soil.

And I’d be fine with all of that if the American people were getting something out of it. But the net result was Xi walked in and out a very confident man that he essentially has the catbird seat in the U.S.-China relationship.

And I think Trump has put us in a very challenging position in that competition.

There are certain things about Trump that reflect underlying trends in our country.

But some aspects of the way he approaches foreign policy are totally at odds with where a bipartisan majority of Americans are — like on NATO or on Russia or on corruption.

So I don’t think we should take him as a symptom of, like, this is just where America is and there’s no going back. I don’t accept that.

A very serious disaster was averted. The co-pilot is currently being questioned, and indications are growing that he wanted to take control of the plane and crash it with the passengers on board.

We are fighting what I believe is the most justified war in the world, but we are creating disasters in the process.

You are not going to recover from that if a minister in the government says that an atomic bomb should be dropped on Gaza and you don’t fire him.

You are not going to recover from that if a senior minister in the government says that starving children is a legitimate weapon and you don’t fire him the next morning.

The crisis with Türkiye is a real crisis and has to be managed, but in the end it translates into the price of cement.

Türkiye is the main exporter of cement to Israel, and cement prices translate into housing prices. I could give you 17,000 examples like that.

I had a painful meeting with a group of very young people, and I heard all the lines about how "everyone has to be killed" and "there are no innocents." I asked them, "Babies?" They said, "Babies too, because eventually they’ll grow up and become terrorists."

I said, "Even a two-week-old baby?" And I thought: Hamas won. Those are Hamas’s standards. That is what Hamas wanted — for us to become like them.

I support the use of force. But I am saying that we must not become like them.

One of the biggest mistakes the current government makes is that it boycotts everyone who criticizes it.

The discourse in Ireland against Israel is unacceptable and intolerable — but someone explain to me how closing the embassy in Ireland helps the State of Israel. The discourse in Spain against Israel is unacceptable and intolerable — but someone explain to me how recalling the ambassador helped us.

I would go there. I would go on television. I would argue with them. I would ask to speak in parliament and fight with them. You fight the battle — you don’t run away from it.

The world has somehow separated the problem: they say the problem is not the state, it is the government. They say, "You have a government that is behaving in an unforgivable way."

We need to tell them: something has changed here. The State of Israel is saying, "I fought a justified war, but now I want to reopen this. I want to talk to you."

Benefits would depend on alignment with EU foreign policy, sanctions, export controls and protection of sensitive technologies, and could be suspended if countries fail to comply.

Ukraine, Moldova, Albania and Montenegro would also receive road maps to speed up accession.

Source: POLITICO

All ~174 passengers (including 27 children, many Israeli) are safe.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was cruising at ~34,000 ft when it made a steep 17,000 ft descent over northwestern Saudi Arabia with altitude oscillations and speed changes.

The transponder first squawked 7700 (general emergency), then briefly 7500 (hijack/unlawful interference), then back to 7700 before landing safely at Tabuk.

The 7500 code triggered an Israeli military response.

IAF jets scrambled, Netanyahu and the defense minister held consultations. The situation was later clarified as an internal cockpit incident, not a security threat.

Passenger accounts from Israeli media:

Screaming from the cockpit, the cockpit door opened with blood visible, claims one pilot was stabbed with a pocketknife, a sudden dive that terrified passengers, and crew/passengers helped restrain someone.

Israeli media reports the captain was Russian and first officer Ukrainian. Flydubai has not confirmed nationalities or names.

Some Israeli outlets (Channel 14) speculate one pilot may have tried to put the aircraft into a deliberate dive, not confirmed by any authority. Motive and exact injuries remain under investigation.

Flydubai said the flight "experienced an incident while en route" and is sending a replacement aircraft from Dubai.

Saudi security was present at the aircraft after landing. Investigations involve the airline and Saudi/Israeli authorities.

Germany will expand its existing fast-track system, allowing more trusted companies to obtain business visas with fewer documents and, ideally, within a week.

Employees of firms belonging to Türkiye’s DEIK business association will also be eligible if they have clear business ties to Germany.

Source: Die Welt

Two Boeing planes of UAE officials followed to coordinate on Yemen.

The UAE withdrew from Yemen earlier this year after Saudi Arabia bombed its weapons shipments to southern allies.

Now Riyadh needs Abu Dhabi's leverage over Yemen's most effective anti-Houthi forces (Giants Brigade, STC, Tarik Saleh's NRF).

UAE wants space for the STC and wants Islah party banned.

Analysts say the UAE may also seek Saudi concessions on Sudan (where they back opposing sides) and Somaliland (which Saudi Arabia condemned Israel for recognizing while the UAE has a military base there).

An analyst: The Emiratis know the Saudis are in a worrisome position and they are coming in on a white horse.

Source: MEE

Security officials reportedly questioned the public warning and said there was no concrete intelligence linking an escalation to the election.

Source: Haaretz

The issue of relocating Russia’s S-400 systems from Türkiye is currently on the agenda.

The relevant work is underway, and the appropriate contacts are being maintained.

The State of Israel must address the intent and not the results.

Whoever tried to crash a plane and murder 180 Israelis must pay as if he murdered. He and every state or terrorist organization that sent him.

A psalm of thanksgiving to the Master of the Universe for the great miracle of the rescue.

But our duty - I will pursue my enemies and destroy them and not return until they are utterly consumed.